Plenty was on the line for John Phillips and Chris Fields on Saturday in their Cage Warriors 48 main event.

On the day of the fight, the two found out the winner would advance to the finals of the promotion’s middleweight tournament for the vacant 185-pound strap. And for entertainment value, they delivered appropriately for Cage Warriors’ 10-year anniversary card.

But after looking overmatched in the striking game halfway through the fight, Phillips surprised Fields with a guillotine choke, forcing him to tap and writing a ticket to a shot at a title.

With a submission 2:04 into the second round, Phillips moves on to face Pavel Kusch on Sept. 1 in Amman, Jordan. The fight will be a rematch from an April bout in which Kusch stopped Phillips just 25 seconds into the contest with a heel hook.

Cage Warriors 48 took place at HMV Forum in London with a main card that streamed live at MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Fields opened up the fight with a big high kick that just missed, giving Phillips the opportunity to land some heavy hands right out of the gate. But when Fields tied him up he was able to secure a trip takedown straight into mount.

On the ground, Phillips could do little but defend as Fields postured up looking to land heavier strikes. But when Phillips did finally work his way back to his feet, he twice gestured to Fields to bring it – and Fields obliged with a front kick straight to the face. Phillips, in return, offered a high-five to his opponent. Not long after, another Fields trip takedown had the fight right back on the canvas to close out the round.

In the second, it appeared to be more of the same with Fields again in top position on the ground after another textbook trip takedown. But almost out of nowhere, Phillips latched on to a guillotine choke. He sat back and cranked on it, and Fields was forced to tap 2:04 into the frame.

“Fields put up a great fight, and he’s a great guy,” Phillips said. “I knew he was going to be awkward because he’s long. I was trying to tee up a little too much instead of setting him up. He’s a future champion.”

Phillips said his rematch with Kusch, which comes thanks to Victor Cheng having to pull out with an injury, has him motivated to get the title.

“It’s like Christmas coming early,” Phillips said. “Sometimes you don’t get the opportunity to avenge a loss. But I’m up for it, trust me. I’m going to try to break Pavel in half. There’s only one place I see myself, and that’s on top of the heap.”

Phillips (16-5), who came into the fight with 13 of his 15 wins by knockout, now has two straight victories by submission. Fields (9-4), who like Phillips has all of his wins by stoppage, had a seven-fight win streak snapped.

‘TUF 12′ vet Wilkinson makes quick work of Cohoon

Aaron Wilkinson, a veteran of Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” got his Cage Warriors contract started off with a bang, dispatching Leigh Cohoon in the first round with a rear-naked choke.

Wilkinson was able to pick Cohoon up and carried him over to his corner. And though a big slam didn’t come thanks to Cohoon having time to adjust, the most did put Wilkinson in control up against the cage in his own corner with plenty of time to work. He was able to take Cohoon’s back and eventually secured the fight-ending choke. The end came at 2:07, and came despite Wilkinson being cut on the top of his head, with blood gushing from a Cohoon elbow.

“I’m just a robot for (my coaches and teammates),” Wilkinson said. “I just listen to what they say. I thought I’d do OK on the feet. But there’s no point in standing if I could take him down and get the win.”

Wilkinson (10-5) won for the third straight time and is now 4-1 since his TUF 12 Finale loss to Cody McKenzie, his lone UFC fight. Cohoon (8-6) lost for the fourth time in five outings. His previous fight was a 14-second knockout in April.

Sutherland turns things around, pounds out Sizeland

Brett Sizeland looked good early against 39-year-old Denniston Sutherland, landing a nice slam and working to pass guard from top position. But eventually Sutherland’s veteran prowess may have taken over.

Sutherland reversed position on the ground, pet Sizeland pushed against the cage and began landing ground-and-pound as Sizeland covered up. After multiple warnings from referee Marc Goddard to fight back, the fight was halted.

“I knew he was a strong dude going in,” Sutherland said. “I knew I was going to hit the deck, but reverse him and eventually catch him. He’s going to go hard as soon as he gets the takedown – I knew this. And he’s going to blow himself out and I’ll get a chance. Hopefully I’ll get to go on to bigger things.”

With the come-from-behind victory, Sutherland (17-8) snapped a two-fight skid – one of which was a 4-second knockout loss this past October. Sizeland (6-2) had his three-fight win streak snapped, all of which had come under the Cage Warriors banner.

Roberts submits veteran Mason in first round

Jack Mason seemed to be cruising against Danny Roberts. But a couple critical mistakes allowed Roberts to take advantage.

After Mason landed an early takedown and looked to establish his will on the ground, Roberts landed an upkick that seemed to stun the veteran. That allowed Roberts to get back to his feet, and when the fight again went to the canvas, it was by Roberts’ choice – and he looked to finish with a D’Arce choke. He had to let it loose, and Mason, recovered from the upkick, briefly got to the mount position.

But Roberts remained calm on his back, secured an arm and was able to get enough behind the torque near the fence to force Mason to tap in the first round.

Roberts (7-1) got back in the win column after suffering his first loss this past December. Mason (20-11) had a three-fight win streak snapped with the loss.

Hardiman turns things around, stops Pariente in second round

Dale Hardiman found himself on the business end of Ido Pariente’s ground control in the first round.

But in the second, Hardiman decided to let his hands go. He caught “The Hebrew Hammer” with a big left hand and followed it with a right. More shots came on the ground to give Hardiman the win quickly into the second round.

“He was coming forward with big, not really technical shots, and I didn’t want to get caught with one,” Hardiman said. “I have confidence in my hands, and I haven’t really shown it in MMA. So I hit him with the left and followed it up with the right. I’ve been in those sorts of positions (on the ground in the first round) plenty of times. I knew he was looking to pass. I was just looking to get back into decent position or work for a submission from my back.”

Hardiman (9-3) got back in the win column after an April knockout loss. Pariente (12-6), whose resume includes a loss to Jake Shields, had a two-fight streak snapped.

Edwards gets past Hyslop’s trash talk, wins flyweight debut

Kris Edwards said he wasn’t concerned with Brian Hyslop’s pre-fight talk – even if Hyslop believed he had gotten under his skin. But in the first round, Edwards couldn’t have been blamed for being a little concerned with Hyslop’s ground attacks.

But Edwards, making his flyweight debut, stayed calm, worked strikes from his back and looked for submissions. And though Hyslop did well to avoid heavy damage in the first, Edwards kept working in the second and caught Hsylop in an armbar, rolled it over and forced Hyslop to tap.

“I just ignored the talk and concentrated on my game,” Edwards said. “I haven’t done any guard work, really. I just spend my days laying in bed, practicing triangles. Whoever the boys are sitting at the top (of the flyweight division), I’m coming for you.”

Edwards (8-3) moved his win streak to three, while Hyslop (5-2) fell to 1-2 in 2012.